Combination clip board and light



Feb 4, E936., R. KAYLOR ET AL COMBINATION CLP BOARD AND LIGHT 'Filed Nov. 21, 195s ATTORNEY Raymond Kaylor, near Los Angela,

y E. Kenney MS'Angel Calif.

applicati@ Novemoer 21, 193s, semi No. ceases 4 (ci. zic-en) This invention relates to portable writing equipment, or more specifically to a device providing means for releasably retaining one or more sheets of material adapted to receive thereon writing orv other matter, or havingwritlng or other matter thereon to be read, and to support the sheet or sheets in position to aord convenience in writing and/or reading while the device is held in the hand or upon the lap o the user. Devices of this type are known to the trade as Clip-boards.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improvement in devices of the general type indicated whereby their field of utility is greatly widened. We accomplish this by providing means for illuminating the work carried by the clip-- board so that it can be used just as conveniently during other than daylight hours and inlocalities where other` source of illumination is not available.

Another object is to provide a clip-board having combined therewith a self-contained source of illumination' which not only illuminates the work on the clip-board, but is also adapted to project an appreciable amount of light on the clipboard so that the device also serves the purpose of an ordinary hash-light in that it aords greatconvenience in such uses as finding house numbers, finding ones way through darkpassages or over rough or -encumbered grou nd,-y locating lost articles and the like. l

A more detailed object of our invention is to v provide aself-illuminated clip-board asdescribed wherein the illuminating means c oinprlsesl a, reilector havinga light source therein and carried by and preferably .formed integrally with the clip member by which the sheets ofv paper` or other material are releasably attached tothe board, ,and

with the reector so disposed that is is adapted yto reilect and preferably diuse light. from the bulb substantially -evenly in inclineddirection downward 'and toward the sheet or,.sheets.en gaged by the clip.

A furtherv object is to provide a container on thev clip-board for releasably retaining1 one, or more. electric kbattery cells, and the necessary electrical connections for energizing the bulb by means or the battery. Y A,

A still'iurther object -is to provide a switch interposed intothe electrical circuit and disposed in position to aiord the utmost convenience in controlling operation ofthe light bulb. y

Itis a further object'of our invention to provvide ade-vice of this generalcharacter whichwill 55 be relatively simple and inexpensive inconstrucfand to a considerable distance therefrom,-

ysheets supported'by tion and which will be generally superior in eiiiciency and serviceabillty.

Our invention possesses other objects and 'advantageous features, some oi which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form or our invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming a portion of the specication. It is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the showing made by the said drawing and description, as we may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of our invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing: f

Figure lis a perspective view oi an illuminated clip-board embodying the principles of our invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view, the plane of section being indicated by the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, with the direction of view as indicated.`

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, the plane of section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig.`2 and the direction of 'view by the arrows. A portion of the figure is broken away to reduce its length.

Figure i is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a slightly modiiled form of construction.

Specically describing that embodiment of our invention which at present appears to be the most practicable, our self-illuminated clip-board comprises a plate 6 or any suitable rigid or semirigid material, such as wood or sheet metal. The plate S is of such proportions that it is adapted to" support 'one or more sheetsrof paper (not shown) 4or other material with the sheets lying at upon the upper surface of ther plate 6 and collected in a Istack, i. e., one upon the other. Stop means, such as a pair of spaced ears or lugs 1 `areprovided adjacent one end, preferably the upper end 8 yofthe plate 6, these lugs being alned so as to provide convenient stop means 'for guiding the upper ends of all of the plurality of the plate and thereby assist in maintaining, them in neat, stackedrelation.

A batteryl container 9 is provided at `the upper end 8 of the plate' E. If the plate Bis of sheet metal, one convenient method of providing the container 9 isby'rolling the upper end into cylindrical form, as shown upon the drawing, whereas', if the plate B' is composed oother material, it probably will bel more convenient to form the container@ separately and 'preferably in cylincirical form and attaching it by any suitable means in proper position at Ithe upper end '8 of the plate 6l.' In the irnodication s'hown the batteries are of cylindrical form and for this reason the container 9 is shown also cylindrical and hollow to receive the batteries II, but yit should Aloe understood if other types of batteries I| are enr-- tained within the container` 9 Ibymeans of a` plate I2 inserted through a slot I3 adjacent one end of the container S'after the batteries I i have been placed in proper position. A handle I4 projects beyond the side wall of the container 6to assist in removing the plate I2 -when it isdesired to remove or replace the batteries I Disposed inside theplate |2 is a smaller plate I 6 having a coil spring I1 secured thereto and under compression between the plate I6 and the proximal battery II. 'I'he purpose of this spring is to .press all the batteries into good electrical contact with each other and toward the opposite end of the container 9 so that the center contact ||l` of the distal battery II establishes efficient electrical Vconnection with the contact plate I9 carried by a suitable plate 2| of insulating material at the distal' end of the container 9. The spring I 1 also serves to establish electrical connection between the bottom endor shell of the proximal battery II; and inasmuch as the plates I6 and I2 are of suitable conductive material, the spring also serves to establish a grounded connection between the batteries and the container 9. A pair of spaced ears or lugs 26 rigid with the i container 9 extend upwards therefrom preferably adjacent the uppermost portion of the container. Between these lugs 26 a pintle 21 extends and this serves, as the pivotal supporting means for asecond, smaller plate or blade 28 which inclines downward from the lugs 26 toward the plate 6. A spring 30 of any suitable design, preferably, however, being of spiral form and mounted upon the pintle pin 21, is interposed between the plate 2 8 and any other suitable portion of the device so that it resiliently urges the plate Zito swing in a counterclockwise direction -as viewed upon Figures 1 and 3, thereby causing the plate 28 .to

press its lower edge 29 onto the upper surface of the plate 6 or upon the uppermost of a pile of vpapers carried by the plate 6. Hence the plate 26 servesas the conventional clip of an ordinary.

clip-board in releasably retaining one or more papers in position to receive writing or other matter thereupon or to permit the reading or observation of writing or other matter already appearing upon said paper. ,l

The clip member 26 diners, however, from those of more conventional design in that it is provided with a reflector 3| which preferably is formed integrally with the plate- 23 inasmuch as this provides' a very -convenient'. type of construction which can be produced at a minimum oi' expense. As a matter of design, we prefer to make -the reflector oftruncated pyramidal form, but this of course is open to variation iny accordance with the ideas of the designer.

Preferably the uppernd of the reflector 3| is closed by a plate- 32; and a partition 33 extends across the reflector 3| in spaced relation with re- -spect to the upper plate 32. This partition 33 carries an internally threaded ferrule 34 which provides means for conveniently mounting a miniature electric lightv globe 36. Inasmuch as the re'iiector 3|, the-partition 33 and the ferrule 34 are all composed of suitable electrical conductive material, the ferrule 34 also serves as one of the electrical contacts for establishing the electrical circuit wherebythe bulb 36 can be energized. The

lother contact 31 is preferably in the formof a .downwards yonto the plate 6 or upon the uppermost of appil'e of papers which are'retained upon the plate 6 by means of the clip plate 28. Preferably, however, the upper edge 42 of the opening 4| is at such an elevation above the plate 6 that at least some of the light from the bulb 36 is directed above the lower end 43 of the plate 6, sor that it can be projected for a material distance from the user of the device. This, of course, permits the device to' serve the purpose also of a conventional flash-light', as will readily be understood.

At or adjacent' the upper end of the reilector 3| we prefer to provide a projecting flange or handle 46 which affords convenience in lifting the lower end 29 of the clip plate` 28 against the I action of the spring 30, as is necessary in insertling paper or papers into position to be retained upon the plate 6 by the clip-plate 28.v Moreover, if desired, one or more aligned pencil retaining clips 41 may be secured upon the top platev 32 'y of the reector 4| whereby a pencil or other suitable writing implement may be supported in conveniently accessible position and ready for instant removal for use whenever desired. n

Thevelectrical'circuit for energizing the bulb 36 from the batteries comprises an electrical conductor preferably in the form of an insulated wire 5| leading from the contact I9 into the chamber or recess 52 which is defined within the reflector 3| by means of the partition 33. Here the conductor 5| leads to a switch 53, the operating knob or handle 54 of which is disposed in convenient location outside the reflector and preferably upon its upper wall 56 where it can readily be grasped and turned so` as to control the illumination of the-bulb 36. From the switch 54 another conductor 51 leads to tle button'con` tact 31 which engages the end of the bulb 36'.'I

Thus it may be seen that when the switch 53 is closed, current will iiow from the -battery by way of the contact plate I9 through the conductor 5| to the switch 53 and thence by way,

of the conductor 51 to the bulb 36 from which the current will ow through the ferrule 34, reflector housing 3|, lug 26 and thence to and through the container 9 to the plates I2 and I6 in the order named, and then through ItheN spring 1 back to the batteries Because of the fact that the illuminated clipboard of ourinvention is adapted to releasablyf retain one or more sheets of paper or other inaterial having writing or other matter marked thereon'or adapted to receive such writing or device will be of great utility to such persons as freight car checkers, delivery car drivers, radiov police car operators, and a great many other persons who are required to read or write in localities where it is impossible or impracticable to provide or use other means' of illuminating the paper or papers carried by the clip-board. The plate 8 pro- 4o portable, substantially at plate providing a writing surface,.a container carriedby said plateA vides a convenient desk or the like for support-..

ing the papers while writing or reading is being perfumed andthe light from the bulb 36 illuminates the papers so that the writing or reading can be performed with the greatest convenience and without dependence upon any -other source of illumination. V

In the modied embodiment of our invention 'illustrated in Fig. 4, the battery container 6I is a tube similar to the container 9 except that it is formed separately from the plate ,32. and attached ,thereto as by welding 63. Added strength and rigidity is attained by means of a pair of braces 64, of each of which one end t8 is substantially perpendicular to the plate S2, and the other end S1 is curved "to conform to the side wall of the tube i so as to provide a saddletherefor. The braces are preferably. formed of strips bent to proper coniiguration and attached to the plate B2 as by welding S8 and 69. It should be under# stood, hawever, that thel braces could be in the form of solid' blocks or in other form, and be equally satisfactory. The ends 85 of the braces S4 should be alined with each other, so that they can take the place ofthe lugs l as abutments ,for alining the upper ends of a-plurality of sheets'.

We claim: y l. In a device of the4 character described; a

adapted to receive an'electric battery, a clip pivotally mounted on said container, spring means urging said clip toward saidplate to releasably clamp a plurality of sheets of paper upon the plate, a reflector on said clip and opening in an inclined direction downwards and toward said plate, an electric light bulb disposed within said reector, and means providing an electrical circuit operatively connecting 4said bulb to said battery.

2. In a device of the character described, a portable, substantially ilat plate providing a writsaid bulb.

ing surface, container carried by said plate..

and adapted to receive an electric battery, a movably mounted clip carried by said plate, spring means urging said clip toward said plate to releasably clamp a-plurallty of sheets of paper upon said plate, a reector carried by said clip, an electric light bulb mounted within said reflector, said reflector being adapted to direct light from -said -bulb upon the uppermost of said sheets and the upper edge of said reflector being. elevated above said plate higher than the plane intersecting said bulband the lower edge of said plate whereby said reilectoris adapted to direct t light beyondsaid sheets onto more distant objects, means providing an electrical circuit operatively connecting said bulb to said battery, and a switch interposed into said circuit and accessible upon'theupper side of said reflector.

, 3. In a device of the character described, a

portable, substantially flat 4plate providing a writing surface. a container carried by said plate adjacent an end thereof and adapted to receive a battery, a brace rigid with said plate and conforming to and rigid with said container to provide a saddle therefor, said brace having Va shoulder thereon providing stop means for a plurality of papers on said plate, a clip pivotally mounted on said container, spring means urging said clip toward said plate to releasably clamp a plurality of .sheets of paper upon the plate, a reflector carried vby said clip opening toward said plate, an electric light bulb within said reflector, and means providing an electric circuit operatively connecting said bulb to said battery.

4. In a device of the character described, a supporting plate providing a writing surface, clip means for releasably attaching 'a plurality of separate sheets upon said plate and comprising a blade pivotally mounted on said plate and disposedin inclined relation thereto, with an elongated edge of said blade proximal to said plate and spring means urging said edge toward the plate to releasably hold said sheets upon said plate against displacement while said blade is in gripping position, a reflector mounted on said clip means, an electric light bulb mounted RAYMOND KAYLOR. RAY E. KENN'EY. 

